APOCALYPSE NEAR?

I confess: As a young man I was caught up in the “End-Times” web – much like millions of the religious right today. In 1968 for my high-school senior term paper, I wrote how the `67 Six-Day War was a biblical fulfillment which spelled the beginning of the end for life as we know it. I was so obsessed by looking for the Antichrist, I failed to see Jesus Christ and the core Christian principles – “Love your neighbor as yourself; do good to those that do bad to you; give all that you have to feed the poor; etc.”

I believe the fundamentalist branch of the church has gone down the same wrong path and in doing so, has further constricted itself into incorporating all sorts of extreme conservative views which serve to support mythological visions. From experience I recognize the hypnotic spell.

Any person, group, or political party not in total agreement with their apocalyptic world view, therefore, is of the dark side. Democrats are as evil as Communists, atheists, or Satanists – but probably more so, because they wield political muscle in this country and must be destroyed in order for righteousness and the coming messianic reign to prevail where the “chosen” rule over the subservient infidel class for a millennium.

This is the view of Michelle Bachmann, Sarah Palin, Rick Perry, Glenn Beck, and several other Republican leaders. This is America’s Achilles Heel, its arbitros. Because around one-third of the nation subscribes to the ideology and are determined to change the course of history to fit the view. Whereas, Cheney fixed the intelligence to fit the policy for an illegal invasion, fundamentalists are fixing the nation into the role they perceive it should serve in establishing a theocratic government for the Millennial Reign.

Name any apocalyptic cult in America. Now pinpoint its politics. Notice any similarities? All are right-wing. All are/were gun-lovers and Second Amendment enthusiasts. All are/were anti-government and believe the government is out to take their guns and desecrate their god. All predict an imminent tribulation followed by Armageddon – which must take place as a welcome mat for the returning Messiah. All are thirsting for fulfillment – which means they must work through the Republican Party because of its staunch endorsement of social/religious conservatism.

The recent religious cult based in California predicted the end back on May 21, 2011. What party did they primarily identify with? The End-of-the-World date-setters for all centuries in American history were on the right, never the left. Now, consider how eschatological theology has ballooned in this country over the last forty years. What effect has this had on politics and the subsequent course we are forced to take as a nation?

The Number One danger to America is the marriage of the religious right to extreme conservatism. Why do so many Americans vote Republican – against their own best interests and that of the nation? Religion. If these millions were in their right mind, does it seem plausible they would support granting tax breaks and subsidies to the obscenely rich to the detriment of the nation they supposedly love?

Their patriotism belongs to ideology, not country.

Meanwhile the debt ceiling crisis is ready to explode over the entire world, and at the core of the Republican intransigence is its religious base. Yes, the people that long for world calamity so their prophetic dreams may come true are energized by the crisis. Republicans don’t care about America; they care about their mythological views coming to pass. Fundamentalists don’t care about the poor; they care about events in Israel and the Middle East making their apocalyptic vision a reality. That’s where their focus is. It’s not Christian; it’s anti-Christian.

Back in Washington – We have a President that still values compromise over accomplishing what is essential for the nation’s welfare. It seems every decision is bent to the right to appease a stubborn adversary. We have an Attorney General appointed by Obama who is determined not to prosecute Karl Rove and others that committed barefaced treason while in the Bush administration. They let them off the hook, and now these same characters are returning the favor by destroying Obama and Democrats in huge PR campaigns not even in the election cycle. The TV ads paid for by Crossroads America, Rove’s group of secret billionaires (Koch, etc.) are aired all across the U.S. without rebuttal.

http://rturner229.blogspot.com/2011/06/crossroads-america-ad-launching-next.html

We face depression for two reasons: (1) Republican bullies; (2) Democrat cowards. Obama fails to see his opponents clearly because he stubbornly views that all issues can be negotiated into reasonable settlement. He places bedrock principles and programs (Social Security, Medicare, fair taxation) on the table as bargaining chips in his primary drive to please the other side in the hope they’ll reciprocate in kind. Naturally, they see him in a weakened position; who doesn’t? As a result, we lose everything – hammered to hell by employing Obama’s concepts. Does he not realize how much the right hates him because it links him to the devil? Does he not realize, by compromising away middle-class rights, seniors’ safety nets, and core Democratic programs fought for by blood and tears for years that he’s losing union support? Without unions, the Democratic Party becomes a shell. What is wrong with Barack Obama?

The cult has overtaken sanity in America. In a few days we shall see whether we throw ourselves into full-blown depression or just a nagging second great recession – both due to Republicanism. The Apocalypse will come as a result of those that believe in it coupled with the spineless that allowed it.

The Curse

America is scarred by a prominent fault-line. It’s been there since the nation’s birth. Geographically, it follows the Potomac and Ohio Rivers, tracks roughly the 32^nd parallel, then drops to the Rio Grande east of New Mexico. Conversely, the great divide cannot be simplified as purely geographic, for it cuts through households in all 50 states. On the other hand, the Blue-Red state schism resembles the Blue-Gray split 150-years before. The Old Confederacy has risen again in the 21^st, and you can see it clearly displayed on election night maps.

Yet it’s more complex. The divide is also apparent between religious bodies. Fundamentalist denominations are on one side; mainline denominations on the other. Traditional class warfare also plays a dynamic on the fault-line; the “have’s” (and those that identify with the rich ‘cause they want to be also) are principally on the red team while the “have-not’s” (and those that empathize with the poor and middle class) are on the blue.

At this time in U.S. history, the divide is widening again to dangerous levels, and there are several factors contributing: Political polarization, income disparity, unemployment, homelessness, unfair global trade agreements that re-sanction slave labor, the “dumbing-down” of society, corporate takeover of media and elections, and burgeoning religious movements identifying with the affluent in contradiction to original doctrine.

And at the heart of the great divide is the modern Republican Party. Its political operatives made a conscious decision three decades ago to win at any cost, including compromising traditional values that moderated our political system to civility and accepted standards of discourse. No longer is there a conscience to constrain; all tactics are on-the-table. As part of the conscious decision to include the unconscionable, the GOP has embraced deceit, fear, greed, and hate as part of its fabric. The composition is damaging to the nation as a whole, not just the party, and they care not. All that matters is objective; winning is the only thing that counts. The end justifies the means.

Nixon coined the new political reality that widened the gap, “Southern Strategy.” He and many other politicians recognized the passing of Civil Rights legislation in the mid-60s would lead to the end of Democratic domination over the Old South. Republicans quickly moved to fill the vacuum by converting former Dixiecrats and Klansmen into the GOP. The process is practically complete after 46 years.

“[The far right cannot] discount the fact that sitting in their parlor is the Ku Klux Klan, the American Nazi Party, every racist group in the United States and not a few of some Fascist orders that have scrambled their way up from the sewers to a position of new respectability.” – Rod Serling, 1964 Los Angeles Times

This is America’s curse, her fault-line. Canada’s may be the French and English gap, Britain has its Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales; India is divided by the traditional caste system; and China is plagued by its Tibet and Taiwan. In perspective, nearly every country has a fault-line that, if inflated, could resuscitate civil strife.

But America’s curse now seems more inflamed due to calculated Republican strategy, as mentioned.

America’s curse is the same for all fading empires – destructive division. Rome fell from within, not from without. History tells us more Romans died during the decaying period from domestic disputes and religious rivalries than from outside barbarians. The scene was neighbor against neighbor; kin vs. kin. In addition, the distant provinces became more detached from Rome over centuries.

Internal decay is far more lethal than external. Invaders are usually stopped at the gate. But only when an empire is defeated internally may external forces penetrate to finish the job. Of course, Rome’s fall was over a period of centuries, plus the Western Empire fell nearly a thousand years before the Eastern. If only America could be so lucky.

I see the Republican Party [with all its tentacles and artificially spawned groups] as America’s curse – its decadence. Republicans are always demonizing Democrats, I realize. But I actually believe Republicans are the element of the nation’s decay. Nothing good for the country can be passed because Republicans stand in the way. Their immaturity blocks everything America needs to recover, and if they don’t get their way in concentrating wealth into their rich friends’ hands, they throw childish tantrums – literally.

The Republican curse is like a method of Roman torture whereby a rotting corpse is strapped to a healthy person’s body until the decomposing excrement and bacteria infects the living tissue and the healthy individual succumbs to a slow, torturous death. The dead body is the GOP and the living human – carrying around the weight of the decaying body while at the same time attempting to survive and provide necessities to sustain that existence – is the nation.

Admittedly, this is a grotesque metaphor of the current condition. But the end justifies the description. Aren’t we dying as a nation because the Republican Party – with its obsession with guns, violence, wars, myths, fear and hate – is tied to our backs? Somehow we can’t rid ourselves of their influence; neither can we escape to another planet. We’re married to the mob and tortured forever.

The Nazis Party, with its nasty little prejudices and cultic myths, was Germany’s dead corpse strapped to its back. Republicans are ours.

21st Century Paul Revere No Longer the Hero

The 21^st Century Paul Revere riding to spread the alarm [concerning the threat to the nation by corporate oligarchs] faces an unwelcome reception from subjects still loyal to King George W. Why? Because the loyalists that make up a sizable portion of the population are indoctrinated into the modern-day theology of prosperity – contradictory to Christ’s precepts. In this regard, their dogma is heresy.

The first Paul Revere rode into towns receptive to his message. The 21^st Paul Revere is not only rudely rejected but lambasted for being unpatriotic and a rebel to the ruling monarchs.

The religious right views America as a “Christian” nation, although the founders constructed it as pluralistic to include all religious views and those with none. Thus, the nation in time became safe refuge to peoples of all creeds and color from all corners.

Although Bush is relatively silent in Dallas, the religious millions who made up his base are unrepentant and unrelenting in their quest to reshape America into a theocratic oligarchy consolidated with corporate power – 21^st Century Fascists or “Dominionists” – as they like to be called.

The “Tea Party” movement is just the latest derivative of the same.

The surfacing of George W. Bush might have been the premiere symptom of decline, perhaps indicating the initial deteriorating phase all empires suffer in their last throes. The ominous theory could be premature, although the symptoms say otherwise.

Which came first, the chicken or the egghead?

It is my belief the advent of Bush the son (the “egghead”) via stolen elections, combined with the capitulating nature of Democratic leadership, mark the downward spiral of the once-great American republic.

It is now evident: hatemongers outnumber peacelovers in this country. Guns are worshipped alongside flags, crosses and Bibles – which passages are selected dealing with judgment, damnation and wrath. True Christians are an endangered species probably only found in the Pennsylvania hills and called "Amish" and “Quakers.” Much of the rest are pretenders who, en masse, follow wolves masquerading as conformity-minded sheep, and the wolves are determined to destroy the pasture along with the flock at any cost (because, of course, the loss is carried by the unsuspecting, dumb sheep exclusively).

Many of us tried to spread the alarm about impending fascism should this country fail to reverse course. Not to downplay the subsequent rejection to a “persecution complex,” we found our warnings rejected and unheeded. But not only were our fellow countrymen in denial, they turned on us with rage and false allegations. The tone of conversations grew uncivil. We now find ourselves alienated from former friends and family members – some in our closest circles: mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters included.

On August 21, 2008, while in Vegas, I had a dream. I was a little boy playing with toy cars and trucks on the wooden hardwood floor of an old Victorian house which looked over 100. Mom, now 95 but much younger in the dream, was in the kitchen preparing supper. Then I heard the floor creak. I shouted, "Mom, something's wrong with the house. The floor is making weird noises."

Then my toy cars began rolling across the floor on their own and I could see the floor becoming unlevel. I screamed again, "Hey Mom! Something's not right! The floor is moving."

Mom just laughed, "Loren, nothing's wrong. You're just imagining again."

Then I heard a popping and cracking sound as planks of wood came splintering up from of the floor on one side of the room and the wall gave way where I could see daylight peeking through. I yelled again, "Mom, we've got to get out of here! The house is coming apart!"

Mom just laughed.

Then the whole house started moving. I ran outside as quickly as my little feet could carry me. Mom was left in the house. I saw the building with Mom inside tumble and roll down the hillside and break in two on its descent. The sound was like thunder. I sat and cried thinking about Mom in the house rolling to her death down the hill.

When I woke, the sense I got was the house was America, our home. Mom was Mom, but she represents the millions like her of the religious right who are quick to believe impostors and charlatans who have the agenda of destruction foremost on their minds in an aim towards "self-fulfilling prophecy" where world calamity brings on the end of days and the "chosen few" are favored by final redemption.

I see the religious right as the main ingredient giving power to the destroyers of this country: the greedy class that desires to concentrate wealth into the hands of the few while eliminating the weak, poor, and less privileged through natural attrition – killing the beast: social programs, ethnic & economic equity, and safety nets – which they so blithely refer to as “government entitlements for welfare queens.”

Most of my former religious friends and family, including Mom, cannot see – or refuse to see – what is really going on in this country, although I warn them time and again. Being a 21^st Century Paul Revere doesn’t win hero praise.

WHAT ABOUT BOB?

My former friend, Bob, routinely focused on enemies – real or imagined. I call him “friend” only in the sense I was obligated to represent him on several occasions, not that we held any true amiable relationship. At work, he was a trouble-maker from the word "GO." Union reps aptly classified Bob as “high-maintenance” due to the fact they were regularly called to mediate many altercations for which he was central.

One afternoon Bob and I were having lunch at my favorite restaurant when he abruptly noticed a woman across the room laughing – seated perhaps 75 feet away. Unfortunately, Bob didn’t simply notice but made a loud protest to the waitress that if the staff didn’t shut the lady up, he’d walk out and never come back. It was a scene from hell. The woman on the far side of the restaurant was actually not loud at all. But something triggered Bob – I know not what to this day.

Bob continued his rant, "Look at her! Isn't she disgusting? If they don’t shut-her-up soon, I'm going to walk over and shut her up myself," Bob threatened.

I responded, "Now, Bob, she's way over there and nobody else seems bothered. So, why should you?"

"Well, it just makes me mad. We shouldn't have to put up with people like that," he argued.

It wasn't just the case of the loud, somewhat obnoxious female, because on other occasions at restaurants he would become embroiled over a group of college students, athletes, cell phones, or simply a waitress with her hair out of place. Bob never focused on the good, only the bad. Meals were never pleasant in his company.

This is an example, in my opinion, of the way Republicans behave. They MUST have an enemy to justify their existence. If there's not one at present, they've got to make one up or cultivate animosity towards nations that traditionally harbor a measure of ill-will against the U.S. in normal circumstances. Maybe they don’t necessarily have to produce them out of thin air, they simply inflame them. Domestic enemies too. They treat Democrats with as much hostility as terrorists or communists.

If it's not Afghanistan, it's Iraq. If it's not Iraq [after it finally settles to a measure of stability], it’ll be Iran or Libya or Syria or Venezuela or God-only-knows-where-else. Truly, it’s a bully mentality on steroids.

Republicans are like my former friend who always felt compelled to zero in on an enemy or a shortcoming someplace perceived in some stranger or group of unknowns. Republicans are barking dogs with nothing better to do than notice anything out of the ordinary which activates a constant yelping directed toward superficial enemies. And unfortunately, the right is equipped with a vicious bite. Apparently, it is their purpose for being. If their enemy doesn’t actually exist, they create a straw-man.

Domestically it’s the “War on Christmas” or “death panels” or “Obamacare” or “violent Muslims” that Republicans zero in on. Everything’s a war with warmongers. Then Democrats are tossed into the mix with no distinction between foreign terrorists and liberal neighbors. Republican hate is shared by all – somewhat like spreading revulsion around equally (socialized enemies’ list).

Equalized hate has a source: Rightwing Christian fundamentalism – which dominates the party. Their worldview demands they see in unflinching black and white absolutism – with God on one side and Satan on the other with no shades between. Therefore, Democrats – if not strictly aligned with fundamentalist doctrine – are of the devil and, thus, conspiring with related enemies and terrorists to destroy their cherished but distorted view of America and its revised history conforming to their worldview. The cry “I want my country back” not only has racial undertones (given we have a Black president) but religious.

I must tell you; it was no fun lunching with Bob. And no longer is it fun living in an America strongly influenced by a rabid right-wing cultivating hostility around the world – both domestic and foreign – just because it’s in their bully-nature to do so. On several occasions managers were called to settle some grievance Bob instigated involving another customer at an eating establishment – before I finally gave up on him. (I was about as slow as Obama in realizing I could never change the guy by sound reason and counsel). It was embarrassing. Bullies are the same in that regard – including whole movements like the Tea Party that’s taken full possession of the GOP.

Republicans are spoiling for a fight. Without that prime function, they are but castaways. It's in their nature to act up, provoke or imagine enemies, then vilify them with their hateful rhetoric. Their leading consultants, Frank Luntz and Karl Rove, are paid millions to conceive derogatory language to pleasurize the base and demonize Democrats at the same time.

Have you ever had a friend or acquaintance acting as such? You can predict what they'll do next. Pretty soon you'll be scouting out restaurants to pinpoint your Bob’s probable targets. It's like a game, albeit an excruciating one. I became an expert at identifying the next victim.

The rest of the patrons not acquainted with Bob were naturally neutral in the ensuing conflict like it was an isolated incident. Or that both sides somehow were equally at fault. Little did they know. To view the incidents fairly, one would have to know Bob like I did with his hostile past – his patterns of discontent – to come to an accurate assessment.

The same is true for the uninformed and misinformed in America. If they only knew the true nature of the instigator, calamities could have been avoided or averted. Maybe Tucson could have been prevented if American media was courageous enough to expose right-wing hate-speech. Iraq never would have happened if America knew the truth; neither would financial ruin.

The US media, in its attempt to be “fair,” refuses to recognize “Bob’s” (Republicans’) past practice and modus operandi. It would like to put both parties on an equal footing when discussing hateful rhetoric leading to violence. “False equivalency” it’s now codified universally as a result of the abusive media practice. In that way, the media is the naïve restaurant manager that fails to recognize Bob as the source of hostility but pins half the blame on innocent customers just to look “fair and balanced.” There’s nothing “fair” about dishonesty. Responsible leadership takes everything into account, then bases solutions on facts. A bully is a bully, and the Republican Party is America’s bully. To see it any other way is dishonest and irresponsible.

Now Republicans are going after teachers, custodians, road crews, union workers, Planned Parenthood, NPR, aliens, and millions more Americans. The targets are all in Karl Rove and Frank Luntz’s playbook to weaken the Democratic Party, thus winning future elections for Republicans. Koch brothers Charles and David – plus several other billionaires – are funding the fall of America by funneling millions through Rove and Luntz for their war on workers. It is incredible. They are going for the jugular. Tax cuts for billionaires, pink slips to the working poor and filthy streets for the homeless. Concentrating all wealth at the top while raping the bottom is the name of their game. That’s exactly where we are.

One would think their strategy inconceivable. But the religious right, again, has made their efforts possible to destroy unions and low wage-earners, because equating Democrats with the devil (since they refuse to adhere to fundamentalism) means many workers vote against their own best interests.

The terrible trend continues. The right is spoiling for a fight and will have its wish fulfilled if left unchecked, and it’ll remain unchecked if American media continues its false equivalency game and the evangelical movement continues to spread like a mesmerized cult.

The Republican Holy Bible

“Love thy neighbor but don’t get caught.”

GENESIS

“In the beginning was the Constitution and the Constitution was divinely ordained by God because it was transcribed by Righteous Republicans who were America’s chosen “forefathers.” And the forefathers were rich devout Christian white men, in totality. None were atheists or agnostics, or Muslim (or Black), but all were born-again Christians.”

“And whosover contradicts the strict interpretation of the Constitution set in stone by Republicans shalt be damned.”

“In the beginning 6,000 years ago, there were no heavens nor earth nor dinosaurs. Then God said Let there be Light, and there was Light, and he said It is good. Then he said Let there be water, fire, air, darkness, stars and moon. Then he said let there be fowl, fish and furry little creatures running about the planet. And it was so. Finally he said Let there be man, then naked Adam (missing a belly-button) popped up riding a dinosaur. And God said ‘What?’ ”

“There were no females to satisfy the man he’d just created, so God said Let there be Woman, which he ripped from the poor man’s ribcage. So God made Woman to comfort and serve the sore Man recuperating from divine surgery. And he said It is good.”

“And God made Man from his own image (except God made sure to cover his own ass when making missteps by claiming executive privilege). Woman was created as an afterthought only to satisfy the Man.”

SALVATION

“For Bush so loved the world that he gaveth his only retarded son that whosever believeth in him shall not flourish but have a miserable life.”

CONSERVATIVES’ CROWN COMMANDMENT

"Do unto others BEFORE they do unto thee, and do it to them often with all thy might – even if they looketh at thee critically, for thou art my chosen people who hath inherited the earth including all my creation and infidels alike. Henceforth, thou shalt have absolute dominion over the lives of ungodly non-rightwingers to take and do as thou wilt."

THE GOLDEN RULE

"He that hath the gold maketh the rules. We hath the gold so we maketh the rules and whosever breaketh them faceth our wrath."

THE POOR

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He appointed Me to preach the gospel to the rich. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the white collar criminals, and collect tax dollars to bail out corporate thieves if they face negative returns, to set free those who have stolen billions, to proclaim the favorable dominance of the GOP. Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in America, praise Jesus."

“Blessed are you who are rich, for yours is the kingdom of Republicanism. Blessed are you who are greedy pigs now, for you shall never be made to suffer but be classified too big to fail so taxpayers are forced to bail your fat asses out. Blessed are you who laugh now at the expense of the underprivileged, for you shall laugh later when cashing in foreclosed properties from the same.”

“Did not God choose the rich of this world to be fake in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love money?”

"Accumulate possessions and don’t give to charity. Lay up for yourselves treasures on earth in secret Swiss accounts or off-shore shelters so you can go to heaven with that sense of accomplishment. Seek ye first the Kingdom of Wealth, and all these things shall be added unto thee.”

"When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite the poor, but potential investors or rich neighbors, so that they also may invite you in return, and repayment come to you. But when you give a reception, do not invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, or else you will be associated with them and negatively impacted by them, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will only be repaid by socializing with the wealthy."

"Cling to your possessions and give nothing away; Tear down your mansions and build bigger. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

"If you wish to obey the Republican god’s commands, go and hoard possessions and give nothing to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come to be known as a Party loyalist greedy pigs. For greed is good and godly."

REPENTANCE

"Confess thy sins, repent for the remission of evil, then go ye, therefore, and tell the whole world that thou art FORGIVEN that ye may be able to win votes from the feeble-minded myth-believers. Henceforth thou canst do anything forbidden because thou art a sinner saved by grace – the very elite of God's chosen disciples. Verily, verily, I say unto you, thou mayeth commit adultery, bribery, theft, war-crimes, and deceit with impunity – for thou art the chosen ones whose sins have been cleansed. Thou art predestined and preordained to be forgiven, so indulge thyself."

BILLIONAIRES’ BEATITUDES

"Blessed are the RICH for they shall inherit the earth with all its bountiful resources to bulldoze, pollute, and cause to go instinct as thou wisheth and shall not be taxed but let the poor pay the utmost.”

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be named on our cruise missiles to bloweth the living shit out of whomsoever gets in our pompous way.”

“Verily, verily I say unto thee: Do bad to those who do good unto thee, curse those who blesseth thee, destroy anyone who looketh cross-eyed at thee or whosoever even seemeth like they would threaten you sometime in the unforeseen future.”

“If someone strikes you on the one cheek, turneth to him with thine other cheek – from thy buttocks (so let it your light shine before men that they may see your self-righteous born-again shiny whiteass and glorify your father which art in Texas), and then blow your alleged enemy's living brains out, for yours is the Kingdom of the Second Amendment."

“Blessed are the meek. Aw, just kidding. Fuck those socialist pussies.”

GOD’S CARETAKERS

“Yea, though I drive my oversized SUV through the shadow of Death Valley, I will fear no climate change, for I know thou art with me, thy hot rod and under-aged staff they comfort me.”

“Yea, though I clear-cut forests causing the planet’s death, I will fear no environmental wackos.”

MAMMON (Money)

"For the LACK of money is the root of all evil. To him that hath not, shall be taken away: And to him who hath, shall be given. The corporates giveth and the corporates taketh away. Blessed be the name of the corporate country."

GOP TEN COMMANDMENTS

ONE: ”Thou shalt not place any loyalty above Party.”

TWO: “Thou shalt not take unto thee any graven liberal image, such as peace symbols, doves and make-love-not-war bumper stickers. But thou shalt dangle crosses about thy neck, flag lapels on thy garments, and anti-liberal bumper stickers on thy carriages.”

THREE: “Thou shalt not take the name of Money, thy god, in vain.”

FOUR: “Remember Christmas to keep it wholly commercialized to be used as a political wedge by the right and a favorite news item on FOX every season.”

FIVE: “Honor thy father and mother. Except if they’re Dems or libs or favor gun control.”

SIX: “Thou shalt not kill anybody except liberals, Muslims, Mexicans, gays, or any political opponent. Oh, hell, kill them all and let God sort them out.”

SEVEN: “Thou shalt not commit adultery. P.S. It’s not adultery if you’re a wide-stanced Republican politician in a bathroom stall with another man.”

EIGHT: “Thou shalt not steal except from the poor, middle-class, taxpayers, government, and dumb-saps down at the fake Christian megachurch.”

NINE: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy fellow Republicans but circulate all sorts of false stories about liberals and Democrats. But thou shalt bear false witness to incite wars and assassinations.”

TEN: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house except if it’s white and on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the current resident happens to be not white; Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife except if she works on your staff, nor his male servant except if he’s a page that you can sext to without getting caught, nor his female servant (same), nor his ox (‘nuff said), nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's except his bank account, luscious wife or daughter or handsome son.”

RONALD REAGAN’S ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT

“Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican. But thou mayest speak ill and spread malicious rumors against anyone else – fair game.”

ADULTERY

“Love thy neighbor but don’t get caught.”

EXCLUSIVITY

"He who art not with me is against me. If thou canst not agree with every word proceeding out of my mouth, thou art against me. For verily, verily I say unto thee, I – as the Republican image -- am the final judge of good and evil and what I say goes. Anyone not with me will be at the receiving end of God’s wrath.”

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. Thou canst not serve both the Republican Party and the nation. Thou must choose the Party of God over country.”

“Trust in the GOP with all thy heart and lean not unto thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge it, and it will direct your path to wealth, power and fame.”

“GOP does spell GOD.”

Who Knew?

Who could have known Wall Street and the American banking system would fail? Who foresaw the U.S. Government forced to bail out entire financial houses to rescue the nation and world from certain collapse? Of those who predicted, who had the courage to warn?

The answer is many.

Upon Bush’s ascension in 2000, and even before in 1999 as he was putting out “feelers” to run,” I predicted economic collapse as a result of his capturing the White House. His economic philosophy mirrored Ronald Reagan’s except more extreme “trickle-down.” Openly he advocated transforming Clinton’s surpluses into deficits to reward his wealthy fans with excessive tax cuts. It was much more important for the right to “starve the beast” than act in the best interests of the nation.

The pillars of wealth are (1) innovation and (2) industry. America’s twin pillars have both have been deliberately undermined, and like the Twin Towers, have come crashing down in huge plumes – changing history forever.

The right advocated outsourcing. They achieved it with little or no resistance from the passive left. The right advocated giving huge tax breaks for whole industries relocating overseas. The limp-wrist left capitulated as per norm. The right encouraged employers to hire illegals in a direct effort to undermine labor. The left rolled its eyes in opposition. The right weakened education and career training in this country. The left failed to counterattack but instead prescribed compromise.

The result was a house of cards waiting for the first gust. The twins INDUSTRY and INNOVATION collapsed like the WTC. We’ve been surviving on fumes since – credit and deficit. It’s a shell of an economy, a balloon artificially inflated by foreign money, past success, and now artificial stimulus.

As soon as the stimulus evaporates, the economy is destined to dive again. But this time Humpty Dumpty cannot be put back together again, for all the King’s treasure is now controlled by the very element which pushed Humpty off the wall.

As mentioned, more than a few warned of economic calamity. Our little email ring began in 2002 which included about 300 active writers. One was an economist from the Miami area who saw the handwriting on the Wall Street when emailing the group AmeriVoice on December 1, 2002.

His message is presented below – names and specific contact info redacted or code-named for privacy. I happened upon his email early 2011 when reviewing the group’s archived files.

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Subject: The Plague of Wall Street... US Banks and their genius elite 

WARNING!!!

Date: 12/1/02 12:28 PM Central Standard Time

From: AmeriVoice Member #127

All investors and banking customers -- beware! Avoid Wall Street like the plague!

Do not have anything to do with the major NYC commercial banks, brokerages or investment banking or securities analyst firms.

Leading contenders Citigroup, Solomon, Smith Barney, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Bros., Bear Stearns, MLPFS, etc... (1) regulatory penalties, (2) equity -bal sheet holdings- adjustments or write-downs, (3) restatement or charge-off of nonperforming loan portfolio items, and (4) the recognized of a total failure to provide a bad debt reserve for high risk and soon to fail OTC derivatives... will soon leave these institutions financially insolvent.

This group of financial geniuses, led by the new avarice ethnicity elite of Wall St., will soon face potential total instability due to this forced recognition of lost asset value and uncoverable debt burden to the estimated tune of about $1,000,000,000,000 (plus)... that's right One Trillion Dollars.

Several in this group, if not all, will collapse entirely without any hope of reorganization or salvaging in any form. This will create a worldwide financial havoc never seen before in all history....

Mark my word, on this date of original authorship (01DEC02), this unfortunate but true scenario of disclosure, recognition, hell and damnation on Wall Street will commence being clearly visible to the public as the fog lifts in the near future.

"Sir" Alan Greenspan's December 1996 warning about "irrational exuberance" was the beginning of the end of this story and that bubble has now been partially pierced to put it politely.

This is not a slow or sluggish recovery but a rational reality that is replacing the ignorance that fostered irrational exuberance.

Stand aside Joe Granville so as not to dampen the remaining fragile and thin fabric of our democracy ... this soon to begin unfolding story will make even you gag.

For the good of the order,

Sincerely,

Dr. AmeriVoice Member #127 (anonymous), Juris Doctorate and Doctor of Economology

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Credible and factually substantiated

I am an economist, hold a doctorate in law and have throughout my career worked for and/or briefly traveled with four U.S. Presidents.

I have had five careers in my adult life... starting in private law practice, then in corporate America, some public service and several different tenures in academia (college and law school).

I write under my own name, as well as two nom de plumes (one for political science pieces and one for economics).

I prefer to have my message heard and understood without regard to my personal identity... and I can plainly state that I seek no political office. Nor would I consider such even if offered.

I have spoken personally with members of the U.S. House and Senate, and both of the most recent SEC Chairmen Arthur Levitt and Harvey Pitt, whose comments I will not quote at this juncture but whose opinions gave me factual confirmation of my underlying fears.

I feel strongly about the truth and accuracy of these statements and fear their impact on our nation and our economic system.

I cannot say any more to you at this time... but would ask if you would mind disclosing who you are, where you are located, what is your interest in this topic and specifically in my comments?

With personal regards,

Dr. AmeriVoice Member #127, Boca Raton, FL

Emailing on 6 December 2002, Member #127 wrote:

Loren:

Thank you for your considerate reply, and yes, you have my permission to submit my writing to your "email ring."

Obviously nothing can be assured in this life except uncertainty and the unpredictable nature of our political and economic environment. I feel very strongly about the fact that few are seeming to recognize and none are addressing solutions for the primary root causes underlying most of the economic and political problems facing us in America today... not the media, not the government, nor academia ... not to mention the general public whose dialogue is generally guided by the leadership of these groups...

I appreciate your interest in this one man's opinion. I usually write under the by-line of either "The Independent American Statesman" or "The Independent American Economist" depending upon the economic or social bent and content of the piece. I like to think of my views as the conscience of American independent and nonpartisan thinking and analysis.

I too have a deep concern and interest in environmental and social issues, and my initial career background was in International Law, with a brief internship study at the UN in NYC, so I too have a special interest in foreign relations. I also taught International Law at a Midwest law school a number of years ago.

"If we are about to face economic catastrophe…" a big "if", but unfortunately I feel it is headed directly at us like a speeding asteroid. Alan Greenspan's December 6, 1996 speech warning about "the irrational exuberance" in the market place went nearly totally unheeded… even though it became the most widely quoted phrase of the last decade. I now say that irrational exuberance has become a rational reality that America finally recognizes in Wall Street and the American financial and security circles. The reluctance to invest has been forced but is a god-send if you ask me…

And to back up my belief with some integrity I can honestly and accurately state that I have no personal investment or retirement money in the stock market today.

I have cautioned people since 1997 about the stock market manipulation and tomfoolery. I have also advised family, friends, neighbors and readers since late 1999 to prepare by withdrawing from the market. Those who heeded my advice early on lost nothing but many did not, including an older sister in Michigan, who has now lost a bundle… and just a few years before full retirement.

The old Boy Scout motto still rings true to life today…"Be prepared"!

Again, thank you for your interest and comments.

Personal regards,

Dr. AmeriVoice Member #127